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March 22, 2022
Spring Issue #4
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Weekly activities and lessons to keep your child thinking and progressing throughout the school year. |
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“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.”
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Happy McManus Files Tuesday!
Can you believe another week away from school is already here? I'm excited (and ready) for the break, but it is going to be a long haul when we return to the end of the year. How ever you will be spending the week off, I hope you are able to relax and enjoy your family and friends. Have a great break!
Please share this flyer with your friends and encourage them to join our mailing list by following the links on this page.
Mr. McManus :-)
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The War That Saved My Life
by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
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This is a fantastic chapter book. In this historical fiction set in the home front of World War II tells the story of Ten-year-old Ada who has never left her one-room apartment. Her evil mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So, when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him. I loved how the underlying theme of kindness and ultimately how kindness can change lives. Ada's tough journey from brokenness to healing is very moving and credible in its development and emotionally satisfying outcome. The feel-good appeal of this rescue fantasy combines with the increasingly tense World War II backdrop to make this a riveting page-turner. A lovely read. Highly recommend. Enjoy! |
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How to Explore Melting Ice
This cool experiment with frozen water will have you singing ice, ice baby
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Ice. It’s not just the theme of a pseudo-rap song from the 90’s. In this experiment, you can come out of the cold and explore this common freezer staple.
Whatever the weather outside or song stuck in your head, you will have tons of fun with this icy investigation. Using just a bit of water, your freezer and found objects from around the house, they can melt away the hours learning about solids, liquids and the properties of water.
GATHER THIS:
- Wide-mouthed container that can hold 1-2 cups water (old sour cream tubs or yogurt containers are ideal)
- Water-tight tub, bowl, or baking pan
- Cup of tap water
- Cup of hot water
- Metal objects (e.g. bolts, washers, spoons, pennies, copper pipe)
- Wooden objects (e.g. craft sticks, toothpicks)
- Table salt
- Optional: Thermometer, food coloring, other materials for testing such as rocks, plastic toys, anything smaller than your hand that you don’t mind getting wet!
THEN DO THIS:
- Ahead of time: Fill the plastic container with water and freeze overnight to create a giant ice cube. The water will expand as it freezes, so leave a little space in the container!
- Transfer the giant ice cube to a tub, bowl, or baking pan for exploration.
- Use your senses to touch, smell, listen, and look at the ice cube.
- Get the metal and wooden objects to explore the ice. Try different experiments, like holding the wood and metal objects on the ice and counting to twenty and putting two objects next to each other on the ice to compare the results.
ASK THIS*:
- Which tool works best to melt the ice?
- What do you predict will happen when you use [any tool] on the ice?
- How does your ice look, sound, or smell different after using a tool?
- What happens to the tool after you have been using it on the ice?
- * Wood and Metal objects are the tools :-)
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
Some materials are better at conducting energy than others! Metals like copper and steel are great at moving the heat from the air or your hand into the ice. Wood is a better insulator; it holds onto energy better than metals. Salt melts ice by chemically lowering the freezing point of water. While fresh water freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Centigrade), salt water must be colder!
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If you feel your child might benefit from a group or individual tutoring program to prepare them for the next phase of their education, please contact McManus Tutoring.
Programs are structured so that students learn independence, accountability, and self-possession. They will develop a repeatable structure that can be used to build success in the future.
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Three Writing Prompts and a Riddle
These prompts and questions will help jump-start your daily writing. Just as it's important to read for at least 30 minutes each day, you should also write for 30 minutes a day. Don't worry about your organization or spelling, just write!
"My mother handed me the necklace and told me now I could..."
"She/He was my best friend until..."
"With the raft secure, I began to..."
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I am usually made in silence
Quite often before a flame
I cost nothing
And the sky is the limit
What am I?
Answer in next week's issue :-)
Last week's answer... A memory
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